I've been following this discussion from afar and some times I have skipped some emails, so my apologies if some of these ideas have already been covered.
I quiet understand your feelings about being considered mad for your 3d printing proposal back in 1996.
However, I think that there is a fine line between madness and genius and, for good or for bad, they are not mutually exclusive, they can coexist, and art sometimes happens to be precisely in that borderline. It is up to the understanding of others which classification to put on you or on your work.
As for the patenting issue, I personally don't have any, although I have been tempted to apply for more than one. But I have never ended up filling out any application, specially after considering that the creative technological outcome can provide so many cultural benefits if left open. Although I agree that patenting (as well as writing books) could serve as a way for disseminating your ideas in a clear way.
I just feel that today we are more and more understanding the importance of open and free processes and the benefit we all gain in supporting a collaborative, unrestricted, construction of human knowledge, and technology in particular. Perhaps what we need is to find new strategies for disseminating *clearly*, and *openly* our new ideas.
best,
alejandro
www.thepopshop.org
--- On Sat, 3/14/09, Nakazawa Hideki <nakazawa@aloalo.co.jp> wrote:
From: Nakazawa Hideki <nakazawa@aloalo.co.jp>
Subject: [Yasmin_discussions] ARTISTS AS INVENTORS, art as invention
To: yasmin_discussions@estia.media.uoa.gr
Received: Saturday, March 14, 2009, 2:08 PM
Dear Robert,
Because patenting was the closest way to describe fully my original idea
of my invention.
The actual product software "Digital Clay," which I persuaded Ask
Company
to produce, had very limited functions (i.e. only 32x32x32 voxels)
because of the then machine specs in 1996 and to save on expenses as well.
However, I could describe ideal 3D bitmap software with full functions in
my patent even in 1996.
I could persuade no company to produce 3D bitmap printers at that time.
However, I could describe 3D bitmap printers in my patent.
As for my invention of 3D bitmap printers, patenting was the only way
which made 3D bitmap printers "exist" in this world.
Anyway, I can say as the following also: describing idea as intangible
idea like patents is more perfect than making actual tangible products,
especially in the case of basic invention, not mere improvement.
(Close to Plato's Idealism)
Writing monographs to a scientific society might be another intangible way.
However, my invention is actual invention rather than to be academic study.
Writing books might be another intangible way. However, I was afraid that
my claim to be seen mere mad. To be patented by nations was one way to
prove my claim being rational, not mad.
Best,
Hideki Nakazawa
> Dear Hideki,
>
> Why did you choose patenting as a way to represent, communicate ,
> and/or embody your method of "inventing 3D bitmap materials; software
> and printers (product 3D bitmap software 'Digital Clay' in 1996,
> patents for 3D"?
>
> There are other ways to establish a "new basic genre '3D
bitmap' as
> digital modeling."
>
> Best,
>
> Robert Thill
>
> On 3/9/09, Nakazawa Hideki <nakazawa at aloalo.co.jp> wrote:
> > ARTISTS AS INVENTORS, art as invention
> > Hideki Nakazawa
> >
> >
> > Dear Yasminers,
> >
> > Thank you to Roger and Robert for inviting me as one of the
discussants.
> >
> > I am a fine art artist who invented the first 3D bitmap software and
> > printers in the levels of both products and patents. In this my
case,
> > I believe invention itself is ART, rather to call art-RELATED
invention.
> > Yes, my interest is whether art as invention or invention as art can
be
> > accepted or not.
> >
> > Besides, I do not want to think about some kind of conceptual art
which
> > places non-art objects into an art context. NOT because non-art
> > objects (such as invention) can be called art in the sense of
conceptual
> > art, I believe some of inventions are core of art as they are.
> >
> > Here I am giving 3 past cases with 1 my case.
> >
> >
> > 1) George Seurat's pointillism
> > Purpose = representative painting focusing color
> > Method = pointillism (color division and touch division)
> > Result = many of Seurat's pointillist paintings
> >
> > I think creating method from the purpose is invention, while creating
> > art works using method is making-art. Here, pointillism is
invention.
> > We can say with no doubt that pointillist paintings are art and
Seurat
> > is one of the artists as inventors. Then, can we say inventing
> > pointillism itself art? We know that Seurat himself disliked to be
> > called pointillist. But I think inventing pointillism itself was
core
> > of visual art.
> >
> >
> > 2) Arnold Shoenberg's dodecaphony
> > Purpose = music composition using 12 notes equally
> > Method = dodecaphony (forming tone rows symmetrically)
> > Result = many of Shoenberg's dodecaphonic pieces
> >
> > Here dodecaphony is invention, the method created from the purpose.
> > We can say Shoenberg's dodecaphonic pieces are art and Shoenberg
is one
> > of the artists as inventors. We know that Shoenberg himself
emphasized
> > dodecaphonic "COMPOSITION" denying "DODECAPHONIC"
composition. But I
> > think inventing dodecaphony itself was core of music composition.
> >
> >
> > 3) Leonard Da Vinci's inventions of paint material and drawings
of ideas
> > Purpose = representative painting
> > Method = preparing better paint material and better drawings of ideas
> > (later called academism)
> > Result = very few Da Vinci's paintings in spite of many tried
paint
> > materials and many drawings of ideas
> >
> > We know that Da Vinci tried each different paint material for each
> > different painting and even he often invented it. We know that he
> > prepared many drawings of ideas. (Attention: drawings came to be
> > considered art today, while not in those days. Drawings were kind of
> > invention.) We also know that once he thought his invention has
done,
> > he lost interest to continue making art works. Only few paintings
> > remain till today; one reason is that some of his paint material
which
> > he invented was defective, another reason is that he lost interest
> > after invented paint material or finished his drawings of ideas.
> > Let's think more about the latter. I believe the core of Da
Vinci's
> > art is inventing paint material or drawings of ideas rather than
making
> > art works. In this case method as invention itself turned to be the
> > purpose again. I want to say method is art and invention is art in
> > this case.
> >
> >
> > 4) My 3D bitmap software and printers
> > Purpose = to establish new basic genre "3D bitmap" as
digital modering,
> > while so-called "3D" is only the world of 3D vector as
digital carving
> > Method = inventing 3D bitmap materials; software and printers
> > (product 3D bitmap software "Digital Clay" in 1996, patents
for 3D
> > bitmap software and 3D bitmap printers in 1996)
> > Result = no 3D bitmap art works of mine yet
> >
> > First I have to say that I have produced many art works as a fine art
> > artist, but I have never produced 3D bitmap art works except examples
> > for my software. When I decided to apply patents in 1996, I consider
> > patents themselves art. Again the method turned to be the purpose.
> > No need my 3D bitmap art works, because I do not think that 3D bitmap
> > materials are mere steps to making 3D bitmap art works. My purpose,
> > establishing a genre "3D bitmap," is more essential than
making art
> > works, I thought. I named this project "Art Patents" that
is to claim
> > my intangible patents themselves being art without any tangible art
> > works. However, I am feeling to be misunderstood even today, 2009.
> > If you also have questions, I am willing to hear.
> >
> > If you want to know more on my inventions, please visit:
> > http://www.clancco.com/featured/hideki_nakazawa_art-
> > related_patent_inventions_in_t.html
> > http://aloalo.co.jp/nakazawa/200511kandada/patent_e.html
> >
> > If you can read Japanese, the above argument is written in my
monograph
> > "Method of Art and Art of Method" carried on
"Philosophy Vol. 7,"
> > Iwanami Lecture Series, 2008.
> > http://www.iwanami.co.jp/moreinfo/011261+/
> >
> >
> > Hideki Nakazawa
> > http://aloalo.co.jp/nakazawa/
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